Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Has anyone ever tried pre heating their bubbler column to knock a bit of time off the run?
Takes a little while for all that stainless on a FSD bubbler to get to temp.
Maybe a little bit with a hair dryer or heat gun while you’re standing there watching like a hawk?

I have a copper still. I found by the time you hold the fores in full reflux for x amount the column has had time to heat up. And it's just another passive reflux while it's heating up.

Fishleg wrote:Has anyone ever tried pre heating their bubbler column to knock a bit of time off the run?
Takes a little while for all that stainless on a FSD bubbler to get to temp.
Maybe a little bit with a hair dryer or heat gun while you’re standing there watching like a hawk?

i can see where you're coming from.
as the hot temp creeps up the column, as it hits a colder piece of SS it will condense.
so i reckon you could preheat the column, but instead of standing there watching like a hawk, i usually have lots of stuff to be getting on with.
like cleaning out the fermenters i've just siphoned into the boiler and getting the collection jars organized etc etc.
i usually use the time it takes for the wash/column to get to running temp, about equal to the other shit i have to get ready. ;-)
ie i will strip 2 x 25l ferments and by the time they are finished, the fermenters are already in the fridge with the next 2 x batches (about 4.5 hours).

joking aside, what about running one of those heat belts inside the column insulation? :think:

I'd buy an extra heating element for your boiler, rather than standing their with a blowdryer. I expect you would save all of 2min heating just the column, vs the actual liquid.